Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 20 February 2022, Uzbek Minister of Agriculture Jamshid Khodjaev held talks in Tehran with the head of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Javad Sadati-Nejad. The parties discussed the prospects for cooperation in the field of horticulture, greenhouse farms, poultry farming, as well as in the development of science and agricultural services.

The meeting of the heads of the agricultural sectors of both countries took place as part of a visit to Iran by a government delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan led by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov, as well as on the eve of the 14th meeting of the Uzbek-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and technical cooperation.

Jamshid Khodjaev, at the very beginning of negotiations with Minister Javad Sadati-Nejad, noted that this was his first visit to Iran as the Minister of Agriculture, and stressed that the statistics of the Iranian economy indicate profound changes in the country’s agricultural sector: 14% of GDP and 20% employment.

 “Uzbekistan is now also on the path of a 10-year transformation of the agricultural industry, which began with the “Strategy for the Development of Agriculture until 2030” approved by our president,” said Jamshid Khodjaev. – The strategy covers a wide range of priorities, such as food security, farmland management, development of agricultural research, education, services, creating a favorable climate for agribusiness and value chains, providing agricultural technical support and much more. Our export today is stable at 1.1 billion US dollars per year, the share of the GDP of the agricultural sector is about 27%, the country annually produces more than 20 million tons of fruits and vegetables. The production of meat, milk, poultry and honey is also growing along with the development of fisheries in Uzbekistan. But there is still much to be done.

Khodjaev noted that Uzbekistan, like Iran, is experiencing the consequences of climate change, which are especially felt in the agricultural sector. Water conservation, melioration and preservation of soil fertility are among the most important activities of the ministry. And the main goal is to introduce water-saving technologies everywhere, reclaim more than 1.1 million hectares of land and increase the productivity of each hectare. During the past year, 274 thousand hectares of agricultural land were restored in Uzbekistan, water-saving systems were introduced on the basis of state subsidies on 533 thousand hectares.

“We are also gradually moving towards the development and stimulation of agricultural clusters and farmer cooperatives, which will cover the entire value chain,” Khodjaev continued. – We are gradually changing the rules related to the lease and sublease of agricultural land and property rights. The digital transformation of the agricultural sector has been launched. On the basis of the structural divisions of the ministry, digital products are being developed: applications and platforms that simplify access to state support and subsidy systems, services, and much more. Steps are being taken to attract investment and maximize Uzbekistan’s agricultural potential.

The Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan also told the Iranian side about the increased attention of the state to the development of a national research and development system, agricultural production methods that are resistant to climate change. In this regard, the country launched a new system of agricultural knowledge and innovation AKIS, which combines research, education and advisory services for all participants in the agricultural sector. Within two years, Uzbekistan will be covered by a network of AKIS centers in each region, and will provide both physical and online services.

As a result of the negotiations, the parties agreed to explore the possibilities of joint work in the field of scientific and commercial cooperation in the production of saffron and pistachios, and discussed the creation of a pistachio nursery at the Research Institute named after M. Mirzaev, as well as strengthening cooperation in the food industry.

The potential for cooperation in the field of cotton growing, horticulture, vegetable growing, medicinal plants, fish farming, and poultry farming was preliminarily discussed.

The Iranian side is considering the proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan to promote products and services of Iranian agribusiness through the AKIS platform, as well as options for cooperation between the Iranian Agricultural News Agency and the National Center for Knowledge and Innovation.

In order to productively develop dialogue and partnership in the agricultural sector, an interdepartmental Uzbek-Iranian working group will be formed, and it is also planned to organize a return visit to Tashkent by a delegation of Iranian companies led by Minister Javad Sadati-Nejad.